Improvement in electro-magnetic burglar-alarms



WILLIAM B. GUERNSEY.

Improvement in EIectro-Magnetic Burglar-Alarms.

Patented April 30,1872.

PATENT OEEIoE.

WILLIAM B. GUERNSEY, JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN ELECTRO-MAGNETIC B'URGLAR-ALARMS.

Specification forming partof Letters Patent No. 126,288, dated April 30, 1872.

Specification of certain Improvements in Electro-Magnetic Alarms, invented by l/VIL- LIAM B. GUERNsEY, of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson, New Jersey.

The invention consists in part in an improvement in the system of alarms described in my patent No. 112,704, dated the 14th day of March, 1871, in which I describe the use, in connection or combination with my continuous conductor alarm, of a series of section-wires arranged to indicate the point at which an opening has been made. My present improvement consists in a provision by which any or all of the said section-wires may be placed permanently in connection with the bell and battery. I can thus provide at will, in connection with either or both of the two main circuits described in my aforesaid patent, (and also in my patent No. 108,257,) a complete open-circuit alarm, which may thus take the place of one of the said continuous circuits, or may be used in addition to the two continuous circuits as a further means of protection. My improvements consist further in a peculiar arrangement of switch-lever connections, employed in combination with the aforesaid continuous and sectional conductors, to adapt them to operate under dilferent conditions, as hereinafter explained. My invention further consists in constructing a relay-magnet with two coils or helices of different resistance upon each of its cores, or with a coil upon one core dilfering from the coil upon the other core-one being a coil of comparatively fine wire and great length, adapted to exert a more powerful magnetic influence; the other a shorter coil of coarser wire, which, being brought into action after the first coil, will ofl'er less ressistance to the magnetic current, but may serve to retain the armature which, by the effect of the first coil, has been drawn toward the magnet. This part of the invention is primarily designed for use in connection with electro-magnetic burglar-alarms, but is not limited thereto. When so used the house-circuit passes through thefine-wire coils. The depression of the armature closes a local circuit from the same battery through the shorter coils of coarse wire and through the bell-magnet. My invention further relates to a mode of combining the wires, hereinafter described, in a single cable of five or three strands, for greater convenience in laying, and for the further facility thereby afforded of enabling each room or section to be connected or disconnected at the instrument for purposes of test, repair, or convenience.

In the drawing, Figure l is a diagram illustratin g the various connections, and showing in elevation the switch apparatus, magnets, battery, alarm, and other parts of the instrument. Fig. 2is a section at 00 av, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan of a relay-magnet Fig. 4 is a diagram, showing the method of combining the wires in a single cable.

B represents a battery, and W W portions of a continuous house-circuit connected therewith. This circuit is connected with one of the contact-plates or springs Gin each window, door, or other place to be protected, and subsequently passes through a resistance, R, which preferably, as in the present illustration, constitutes the coil or helix of a relaymagnet, M, the armature L of which, when released, is thrown by a suitable spring against a back-stop, l, to which is attached awire, W forming part of a local circuit through the alarm-bell A. S is a switch-arm, adapted to turn on a pivot, s, in the center of its base S, as described in my patent No. 112,704; but under my present improvement a metallic plate, X, is applied to the base s. The said plate X is in permanent connection with the metallic pivot of the switch, but does not extend to the'buttons l 2 3 4 5 6, which form the termini of the respective section-wires VV The buttons 1 2 3 4 5 6 are made to turn, and are provided with pins n, which may be turned over the edge of the metallic disk X, and into contact therewith. By this provision any or all of the section-wires W may be placed in electrical connection with the switch S. W is a second main circuit connected with a second contact-spring, G at each of the places to be protected. The adjacent ends of the wires W and. W are connected to springs h and g, so arranged that, when at liberty, they will meet and form a connection between the wires W and W. The wire W terminates at its other end in a metallic button, w, on the switch-base S. The local wire W running from the back-stop l, terminates in a button, 10 in the base S. w is a pin passing through the base S to the spring h,

and, when pressed in by the switch S, serving to remove the said spring from contact with the spring g. Each of the section-wires W passing from the respective buttons 1 2 3 4, &c., is connected at its other end with a third contact-spring at each of the openings to be protected, one of these section-wires being employed for all the windows of each room, or for any desired portion of the premises. The three contact-springs C 0 0 at each place are so arranged that the opening of the door or window will place them all in contact. The switch S and plate X are constantly in electrical connection, and are constantly connected with the negative-pole of the battery through the wire'y and alarm-bell A. The switch-arm S is adapted to be placed on either one of the buttons w w 10 or jointly on w and w or on 10 and 10 From the foregoing description it will be seen that the current passes from the battery B, through conductor \V, to one of the three springs O in contact-spring at the window, returns to instrument, passes through resistancemagnet It, and terminates in h. When S is upon w, h has no connection with g, but the circuit is closed through 24, 3, S, and bell to battery. If S is placed upon w, (or off from 10 then the action of spring h will bring it (h) into contact with g, and the circuit will consequently be enlarged, so as to embrace conductor W, which connects with each contactspring 0 and terminates in w. If S touches we, then, whenever the armature of R is released from its poles, a local will be closed through S and bell to battery. S can be placed so as to touch either of the three pins alone, or so as to touch 10 and 10 or w and w at the same time. If one of the pins it touches X, then an opening in that section will be reported by a current coming in over W (and this current with short circuit W, and will release armature of R,) if S be at the time upon either 1 or 3; and if S touches 2 also, then the local will ring the bell continuously.

The diagrams show one method of many of connecting any one or more of the sectionwires (shown in my patent N 0. 112,704) through the bell to the battery, either with the continuous conductor and the local circuit broken by the position of S, as shown, thus converting the alarm into an open circuit non-continuous ringer for such of the sections as it is desired to protect; or by placing S upon 20, converting the alarm into an opencircuit non-continuous ringing instrument for the whole house, with the advantage of a double route for the electricity to travel on from such sections as have their appropriate pins turned upon X; or by placing S upon both we and 10 at the same time add the protection and advantages which the local circuit gives-to wit, a continuous ringing, and a ringing if the continuous conductor be either severed or short-circuited. If S be placed upon w and any of the section-pins be in contact with X, then the opening of windows or door in that section will short-circuit the continuous conductor W and if S at the same time touch 10 the ringing will become continnuous by the action of the local. Pin w also offers conveniences, in connection with various attachments to the alarm, as clock-switch, indicator, &c., which will be described in separate applications for patents upon such contrivances.

While describing the use of a magnet for carrying out this part of my invention I do not wish to confine myself thereto, as an electrometer or any electromotor may be made to answer the same purpose. The continuous conductor may pass either once or twice about the house. v

The peculiar construction of magnet, to which another part of my invention relates, may be described as follows:

H represents an electro-niagnet, m being the customary coil of fine wire, connected by the wires y and y (through bell at one side, and through house-circuit at the other) with the respective poles of the battery B. Thewires W W represent the house-circuit, which passes through a resistance, It, constructed and located in any proper way, and is attached to springs or connecting-plates G C at doors, windows, or other points to be protected, so that the opening of any door or window, or the doing of any other act which the apparatus is arranged to detect, will shunt or shortcircuit the current, avoiding the resistance R and exciting the magnet H. i

This operation does not need a more full description here, having been fully described in patents heretofore granted to me, as for example in patents No. 108,257, dated October 11, 1870, and No. 112,704, dated March 14, 1871.

The armature L of the magnet is connected by the wire W with the positive pole of the battery, and when drawn forward by the magnet closes against a stop, I g, which, by a wire, 10, is comiected with the supplemental helix n, which consists of a coil of larger capacity and smaller length, which also connects, through the wire y, with the negative pole of the battery either through the bell, as shown, or directly if more convenient. The circuit is thus relieved of the resistance offered by the coil m, by the more free conduction afforded through the coil n, but the latter will exert suflicient magnetic force to keep the armature L in contact with the stop I. The wire 3 connects with the magnet of an alarm-bell, A, and when the local circuit W L l y n y is closed, the conduction will be so free as to cause the bell to ring.

The current passing through the bell-magnet may be shunted by the contact of the "vibrator c with stop t (switch K being closed) in such a manner as to break it out of the bell Without breakingthe circuit through the coarse coils. The ringing can thus be made continuous. Whether switchK is opened or closed, I depend on a local circuit to sound the alarm.

This receiving-magnet has the advantage of workin g main and local circuits from the same battery without cutting itself out before its work is accomplished. I am thus enabled to use a minute quantity of electricity in the house-circuit, and so obtain a surer alarm than if I sent around the house enough electricity to ring the bell.

My improved cable for wiring houses isrepresented in Fig. 4.

The insulated wires W W to and from each opening, or to and from any number of openings which it may be desired to combine in one section, and likewise those of a second main circuit, W if used, are united together with the section-wire W in one cable.

By means of this improvement I am enabled, without causing any greater expense or trouble in laying the wires, to return the circuit from each section to and through the instrument, so that either of the several sections, or any two or more of them, can at any time be easily disconnected or cut out from the general circuit for purposes of convenience, test, or safety. Thisimprovement adds materially to the practical value of my alarm.

This cable, constituted of any necessary number of insulated strands, can be laid with as great facility as a single wire, and, in fact, with greater facility, because of its flexibility.

I am aware that a number of the conductin g-wires of an electro-magnetic alarm have before been clustered in a single cable, and, therefore, do not claim this invention broadly. My mode of combining in one cable the wires of a main circuit and a sectional circuit not only enhancesin a large degree the difficulty of picking, but is also of especial advantage in enabling me readily to connect and dis connect aparticular section as explained above.

0 laims.

I claim as my invention- 1. A continuous conductor, not arranged to be broken by the opening of a door or window or other act,in combination with section- Wires, so connected with the battery as to afford a secondary connection from the instrument to each opening to be protected.

2. In combination with the aforesaid continuous conductor and a system of sectionwires adapted to be placed in permanent connection with the battery, I claim a magnet so arranged as to close a local circuit by the release of its armature.

8. I claim a system of section-wires, employed in combination with the aforesaid continuous conductor, and adapted, by the action of contact-springs, to short-circuit such conductor and sound an alarm, either by the current which passes in over themselves, or by the release of an armature to close a local circuit.

4. I claim a continuous conductor, which is arranged at points to be guarded, to be shortcircuited by certain acts upon other conductors, thereby causing an alarm.

5. I claim the combination of the plate X and levers n with the switch S s and buttons 1 2 3, &c., substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

6. I claim the switch mechanism S s X to w 10 h 3 in its various parts, adapted to operate substantially as herein explained.

7. I claim a relay or receiving magnet, constructed with an additional helix or helices of comparatively slight resistance, employed with circuits, the line and local in so far as they affeet said magnet arranged as and for the purposes explained.

8. I claim, in connection with my alarm, a cable, composed of five or three strands of insulated wire, accordingly as I use a double or a single main circuit, connected as shown, so as to return the circuit from each section to and through the instrument.

Witnesses: W. B. GUERNSEY.

Ocrxvros KNIGHT, WALTER ALLEN. 

